Supplement Review: Honey Badger BCAA Amino Acids Powder | Vegan Keto Peach Mango BCAAs + EAA for Men & Women | Electrolytes for Hydration & Post-Workout Recovery

 

This is a good post-workout recovery drink mix that has a good blend of electrolytes and BCAAs that help with recovery. It does not contain creatine which, if you are someone like me for whom creatine does little or nothing, is probably good since you do not have to pay for it to be included. The peach mango flavor is okay at best. It definitely does not taste as good as say the peach mango crystal light mixes, but it is drinkable, especially if you just chug it. It mixes well in a 20 oz bottle just shaking it up, or you could use a blender, large or one of the portable ones, and either will mix it just fine.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: House of Cards: Season 3

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from the prior seasons, but no major season three giveaways+++

Season three of House of Cards starts with Frank having successfully maneuvered his way into the Presidency after either killing or framing and/or sabotaging anyone who could stand in his way or take him down. Doug is recovering from the blow to the head he took when Rachel knocked him out and ran off at the end of season two, and there is friction between Frank and Claire that boils over by the season's end. The big political theme this season is Frank's America Works (or "AmWorks") program, which he initiates in an effort to show that his administration is making progress in helping the American people, and Claire becomes UN ambassador trying to amass power of her own. We also see some of the potential candidates to run against Frank, whom he of course tries to undermine in one way or the other.

For those who get the blu-ray set, the show looks and sounds great in HD as it always has. The packaging is still awful, using the tight pockets to store the discs in that make them extremely hard to remove. For extras, there are two behind-the-scenes features, one that is generally about the season, and the second is about Doug's particular storyline.

Overall, the season is great and the series continues to be wonderful. While the acting is great all around, the standouts this season are really Michael Kelly (playing Doug Stamper) and Rachel Brosnahan (playing Rachel Posner). Their storyline is dark and crazy and they both do a great job. Robin Wright also knocks it out of the park with her ever-expanding role in the series. Of course, Spacy is a catch-22 these days. His portrayal of Frank is awesome, but it is hard to separate the allegations against him personally from his work on the show. But, if you can put that aside, his portrayal of this character is probably his best acting work ever. The series continues to be one that you hope is entirely fictional in its portrayal of the Washington political scene, but fear that more of it is true than it should be. I think it is still one of the best dramas ever, and definitely worth the time to watch.

4k-UHD/Movie Review: Thor: The Dark World

 

Thor: The Dark World is a sequel to both the original Thor movie and The Avengers. It is set a couple of years after the events of the original Thor movie and sees Thor going through the nine realms cleaning up Loki's mess, which is also taking a lot longer because of the Bifrost having been destroyed in the first movie. Thor keeps track of Jane (mostly via Heimdall) but has not seen her in all that time, which makes for an awkward reunion, to say the least. Loki is imprisoned on Asgard, visited only by Frigga.

This movie sees the threat of Dark Elves, with the main antagonist being Makliketh (played by Christopher Eccleston), the leader of the Dark Elves who was defeated by Thor's grandfather. He is trying to capture a substance called The Ether, which can basically undo the Big Bang and bring the universe back into darkness. I will not spoil the movie for the handful of people reading this by now who have not seen the movie, but the plot requires Thor to return to Earth after Jane is put in danger and team up with Loki to take down the Dark Elves. It also sets up the concept of the Infinity Stones, which, of course, play a larger role in the following movies.

For those who get the 4k Disc set, the movie looks and sounds great in UHD. Not a huge jump from the blu-ray version of the movie, but noticeable enough that if you have a 4k TV and blu-ray player, it is worth the double-dip. The UHD disc just has the movie itself, and then the extras are included on the second disc which is a regular blu-ray. The extras include a commentary track on the movie by the director Alan Taylor, Marvel's head honcho, Kevin Feige, and Tom Hiddleston, who, of course, plays Loki. The commentary track provides some good insight into the process of making the film with some good behind-the-scenes details from Hiddleston. Then there is another Marvel's One Shot titled All Hail the King, which is a documentary about Trevor Slattery, the "bad guy" from Iron Man 3, showing what is life is like in prison and setting up the 10-rings storyline. Then there are deleted and extended scenes, a handful of making-of featurettes that can be viewed one at a time or all at once, and then a gag reel. So, a lot of material if you like to look at the bonus material.

Most of the supporting cast from the original movie, including Jamie Alexander, Renee Russo, Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba, Stellan Skarsgård, Ray Stevenson, and Kat Dennings, appear. Zachary Levi replaced Joshua Dallas as Fandral, one of the Warrior's Three in Asgard, because of a scheduling conflict. The other notable addition to the cast is Jonathan Howard, who plays Ian, Darcy's intern, who is basically a lacky she "hires" to do the stuff she does not want to do as Jane's intern. The movie gets ragged on, but it is definitely not as bad as some make it out to be. It is definitely a filler story, but it does set up a lot of what is to come down the line, so it is essential to what is going to play out in the later movies. The acting is great from the entire cast. I would say that the supporting characters all kind of took a back seat in this movie and were not as involved as they were in the first one, but all of them made the most of their screen time. Kat Dennings stole pretty much every scene she was in, as did Stellan Skarsgård, who had to play Erik as stark-raving mad (with lucid intervals) because of Loki taking over his mind in The Avengers. There are some cameos, including the usual Stan Lee cameo, but also a pretty hilarious one by Chris Evans. The movie continues the mid-credits and post-credits scene tradition. The mid-credits scene set up the Guardians of the Galaxy, and the post-credits scene was a more humorous wrap-up of the movie. While it is not the best MCU movie, it is not as bad as some make it out to be, and is definitely worth watching.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day 4

Day 4 was the first repeat workout of Insanity Max 30, the Tabata Power workout. I was able to make it about 50 seconds longer this time than on Tuesday, but the tricep push-up sequence is still killer. One thing that I do like about this workout is that the people in the video look like they are mostly "regular" people, meaning non-fitness professionals. And, they all push themselves very hard. I am especially impressed by Jackie, the cute redhead in the back left corner. She seemed to push all the time, even when the camera is not directly on her and while she is in good shape, she is not as shredded as some of the fitness pros in the video are. And, of course, the cop, Mike, who maxes out at like 27:55 is super impressive. It is a hard workout, but it is good and works every part of the body.

Product Review: Mueller Athletic Tape

 

This is typical athletic tape (at least it was when I purchased it). I know that some reviewers complain that it does not stick well, but that was not my experience. I did not have any problems with adhesion using it on multiple surfaces, including the skin. I am not sure if it has changed over the years or if third-party sellers are selling knock-offs, but the tap that I got worked.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Justified: The Final Season

 

+++Warning, this contains spoilers from the prior season, but no major giveaways from season six.+++

The final season of Justified has a lot to do in the last handful of episodes. First, there is the Raylan vs. Boyd final act in which Raylan (with the help of Ava who now has to act as an informant against Boyd in order to avoid going back to prison) tries to take down Boyd for good via a RICO case for the murder of the corrupt federal agent. There is also the story of the larger mob, this season represented by Sam Elliott and Mary Steenburgen who plays Winn Duffy's widow. The series also brings on Deadwood alumn Garret Dillahunt (who is one of the most versatile bad guy character actors out there). The show does a good job tying up the loose storylines and ends with a sense of life goes on, and uses a four-year time jump to give an idea of how the various characters ends up.

For those who get the blu-ray set, the A/V quality is extremely good, as it has been in all of the prior season releases. The extras are not as extensive as they have been in prior years. There are deleted scenes on five of the season's thirteen episodes (9 scenes totaling 12:39 in length) a featurette titled "Directing the Show" (which runs about 11-minutes ) is a piece where actor/director Adam Arkin shows the viewer his process and approach to the show, while the crew discusses him as a director. A short feature on the locations used to portray Harlan and a feature titled "Dutch Speaks" (that runs just under 12-minutes), in which Elmore Leonard explains his origins in writing and inspirations for the story and characters that became Justified, and shares his thoughts on the characters.

Overall, this is a good final season of a great show. The writers did a good job tying things up while also finding a way to incorporate some characters from earlier seasons such as Limehouse (Mykelti Williamson), Dickie Bennett (Jeremy Davies), Constable Sweeney (played by the always awesome Patton Oswalt) did the same, and even has Arlo (Raymond J. Barry) return for a flashback. Like the prior seasons, this one does have a lot of adult content. I'd say the sex is toned down from prior seasons, but it is still violent and there are quite a few s-bombs that get dropped (but that is the worst of the swearing). Joelle Carter is really the standout cast member (although the entire cast does a good job) with her portrayal of Ava, who is an even more complex and conflicted character this season than she was in the earlier season. So, if you are a fan of the show, this is definitely worth the pickup.

Product Review: Spice Rack Organizer with 24 Empty Round Spice Jars, 396 Spice Labels with Chalk Marker and Funnel Complete Set

 

This is a great spice rack. It has three shelves, each holding 8 bottles that are angled when you insert them. There are several sheets of pre-printed labels with the names of almost every kind of spice that go on the lids of the containers. When you put the bottles on the rack they sit so that the lids with the labels face out so that you can easily see what is in them. If you have some spices for which there is not a pre-printed label, there are some blank labels that you can write on with an included chalk maker.

Each of the bottles has a shaker top under the lid that pops off so you can fill the bottle. The shaker top also has a tab that you can pull up so you can pour the contents out into a measuring spoon. The stand is very sturdy and can either sit on the counter or be wall-mounted. It is low profile so it can easily fit underneath an upper cabinet. It is a good way to keep your spices fresher than they tend to stay in the store-bought bottles, and if you buy spices in bulk from a warehouse club you can fill these and put the large bottles in a freezer to keep the extra fresh (and not take up a ton of cupboard or counter space). It also comes with a silicon funnel to make filling the bottles easy. So, if you are in the market for a spice rack, this is definitely a good option.

DVD/Movie Review Addicted to Her Love

 

Addicted to Her Love (also titled Love is the Drug) is an indie drama from 2006 directed by Elliot Lester. It stars  Lizzy Caplan, DJ Cotrona, John Patrick Amedori, Jenny Wade, and Jonathan Trent. The movie starts out telling what you think is going to be a typical good kid, falls in with the wrong crowd movie, and then takes a turn and becomes a very dark, unrequited love story. Caplan stars as Sara Weller, who is part of a close-knit quartet of drug users that includes her boyfriend Troy (Jonathon Trent) and their friends Lucas (D.J. Cotrona) and Erin (Jenny Wade) at a wealthy private school. John Patrick Amedori plays Jonah, a poor kid who gets into the school on a scholarship and tries to befriend the group of "cool" kids. Jonah becomes obsessed with Sara, and the film basically becomes about his obsession with her.

For those who get the DVD, the extras are pretty meager. There is a commentary track on the movie with the director and Amedori, a 12-minute-long making-of featurette, a photo gallery, some promos that play before the disc menu loads, and a trailer for the movie. So, it is not a ton, but it is there if you like watching the bonus content. Overall, the movie is very good. It definitely has an indie feel (much like the movies The Informers and Havoc). Amedori gives a great performance, and while I do not think Caplan gives her best performance in the movie, I think she did a good job even though her character was not always well written. It is definitely worth checking out if you are in the mood for a dark drama.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day 3

 Day 3 was the Insanity Max 30 Sweat Intervals workout. It, like the Cardio Challenge workout, has a five-minute warmup that cycles through four moves/exercises, then several sets that consist of three exercises that last for thirty seconds. Each set has three rounds cycling through the three different moves, and then you get a break. I maxed out in this workout almost 2/3 of the way through making it to about 19 and a half minutes. 

This workout has the same problem as Tabata Power in that there are some exercises in which the modifier is barely shown, so if you are doing the modified moves and do not know what the modification is already you either have to guess or wait until the modifier is shown to know what to do. If you have already maxed out, that is fine, but if not, it kind of defeats the purpose of moving until you max out. So, as I said before, it would be nice if they included the modifier track. One thing that is on the DVDs that you do not have to sit through when using the BOD app is the warning screen with the pep talk voiceover from Shaun T that you cannot skip past. So, that is a good tradeoff.

One thing I like about the cast this time is there is a mix of "regular" people and people you can tell are professionally in the fitness industry. It is amazing that they keep allowing Shanita (Ms. "I wanna leave" in the original Insanity program) to keep coming back because she keeps demonstrating how little effort she puts into things. She was the first one to max out in the workout, in the first round of the first set after the warmup and break, and she was putting little to no effort into any of the moves and taking a ton of breaks throughout the workout. A good contrast is when the group is doing switch-kick punches and they are filming Shannon, who is going all out and you can see Shanita down the line totally half-assing it. Sarah, who is to Shaun's right in the front during this workout (who is clearly a fitness professional, or should be if she is not) is going all out the entire time and it is just hilarious to see the contrast with Shanita behind her stopping for about 10-seconds at a time. Now, I know the workouts are hard, and other people stop and pause throughout the workout. Even the people in the best shape have to at some point. But, when they get back into it, they are going at 100% again, and she clearly is not. Even the lady in the back (I cannot remember her name) who looks like a regular person just trying to be in the best shape she can be, who is not in as good of shape as Shanita seems to be, is busting her ass throughout the entire workout. But, most of the cast are really pushing themselves and you can tell how hard the workout is.

Supplement Review: Creatine Powder Unflavored Creatine Monohydrate

 

This is just standard creatine monohydrate powder. It is not the kind that gets mixed with some kind of sugar to aid absorption, nor does it have BCAAs as most post-workout powders do. Therefore, it is definitely not worth the nearly $50 price tag that it is now selling for. Especially when the container does not have a scoop and you get more containers than you get creatine. Overall, if you are a person that creatine works for, this will work for you, but you definitely want to price shop.

Product Review: Hinge Outlet Satin Nickel Wood Screws for Hinges

 

I got these because the hinges on my bathroom door were coming loose because the screws that came with the hinges were too short, and did not hold the hinges in place. These are twice as long as those screws and work as they should. No complaints aside from the fact that it would be nice if it came in a larger pack.

DVD/TV Series Review: Hart of Dixie: Season 3

 

Hart of Dixie most definitely embraces its soap-opera-like qualities over the fish-out-of-water aspects that the first couple of seasons had. It focuses a lot more on the various romances of the characters than it does on Zoe's adjusting to life in Bluebell. The season starts out with Zoe working in an NYC ER, having left Bluebell, seemingly for good at the end of season two. She decides that she misses Bluebell and returns, to a much different reaction than she expected. She has a new boyfriend in tow, a writer named Joel (played by Josh Cooke). The show is much more of a serial story now with the story arcs (mainly about the various characters' love lives) stretching throughout the course of the season than it is a story-of-the-week procedural.

For those who get the DVD set, it is a pretty standard MOD DVD set that just has the episodes, but no extras. There are captions in multiple languages, but there are no deleted scenes, gag-reel, etc., so really the only reason to get the physical disc over just streaming the show is if you got the first two seasons on disc and want to keep your collection complete.

Overall, the show continues to be good. I would not say that it is great, it is definitely a prime-time soap opera as opposed to a traditional medical drama. It does not take itself too seriously, blending in elements of comedy here and there, but it also does not lampoon the south and probably shows what life is really like in most southern towns as opposed to what people who do not live there think it is like. Some of the storylines do get a bit dumb, but on the whole, it is a good-natured character-driven show that is worth the time to check out if you don't expect it to be an award-winning drama.

DVD/TV Series Review: The Americans: Season 3

 

+++Warning, this contains prior season spoilers, but no major giveaways from season three ++++

Season three of The Americans picks up sometime down the line from the end of season two. Most of the characters continue as they had, aside from Nina, who is now in a Russian gulag having been arrested for treason after Stan failed to save her from being arrested by the Soviets at the end of season two. As has been the case for the first two seasons, this season is a mix of a case-of-the-week procedural while having a running theme that goes throughout the season. This time, it involves the Soviet-Afghan war, and the Jennings trying to obtain information from the CIA's Afghan group. That storyline brings in Julia Garner to play the high-school-aged daughter of the head of the CIA's Afghan group that Phillip has to get close to in order to bug her father's home office, which presents a moral quandary for Phillip as she clearly has a crush on him. Phillip's relationship with Martha gets even more complicated as the bug he convinced her to plant in agent Gaad's office is discovered, and Paige continues to become more suspicious of her parents as time goes by.

For those who get the DVD, it is very bare bones. It does have a couple of bonus features, basically deleted scenes and a feature on the character of Paige. Of course, the first season was released on Blu-Ray, but from season two forward only got DVD releases. While the show does not really use special effects, the show does not look as good on DVD as it did on DVD.

Overall, the show continues to be great. The writers do a good job balancing the large cast and making nearly everything suspenseful. The writing and acting are still great, with the standouts this season being Holly Taylor, whose storyline gets more prevalent, and Annet Mahendru whose character is in a much different position this season from the first two. This season also sees Lev Gorn, Costa Ronin, and Richard Thomas promoted to series regulars. Again, the series is definitely not family-friendly as it has as much swearing, sex, and nudity as can be shown on basic cable. But, the stories are compelling and if you are old enough to remember the early to mid-1980s it will definitely give you a flash of nostalgia. So, if you like the first two season, this is definitely worth watching.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day 2

Day 2 was the Tabata Power workout. This one, after the warm-up, has a series of moves that you do for 20 seconds, take a 10-second break, and then repeat. Once you do all the moves in the series twice, you get a 30-second break, and then go to a new set of moves. The first series is all lower-body focused moves, the second series is chest and triceps, doing a ton of tricep pushup-based exercises, then you do a series of core-focused moves, and then a series of tricep dips. Then, after the last break, you go through three minutes non-stop doing a selection of the exercises from each set and ending with one minute of power jumps. So, the workout is very challenging, even though it goes by quickly.

I again followed the modifier for the entire workout which was harder this time because, as I said in the last update post, the BOD app does not have the modifier-focused video track like the DVD set does. And, there are many moves in the workout that the modifier is shown for a split second and some moves in which she is not shown at all. Luckily, I remember how to do most of the modified moves off the top of my head so it is not a huge deal. My max-out time for this workout was about 10:30. Hopefully, by the time I am in the second round I can max out around the same time that Mike, the cop whose abs Shaun T. is hitting during one of the core moves, maxes out which is in the 27th or 28th minute. This workout is hard enough that the modifier, Danielle, who is in great shape, actually has to max out during the triceps dips, around the 20-something minute mark, so it is not an easy workout to be sure, even modified. But, I got it over with, and am done for the day.

Product Review: M3 Flat Head Wood Screws Assortment Fasteners Kit 420pcs,Phillips Drive Countersunk Head Self-Tapping Screws,Carbon Steel,Contains 20pcs M6 Screw Anchors

 

These are very small wood screws that are useful to use to support small things (like attaching two small pieces of wood together). None of the screws in the set would be useful, for example, as a replacement for door hinge brackets or something along those lines. You do get some drywall anchors to use if needed, but I honestly cannot think of anything you would screw into a wall for which these would be all that useful, because the heads of the screws are also very small.

Product Review: Amazon Basic Care Allergy Relief Diphenhydramine HCl 25 mg, Antihistamine Tablets

 

This is basically generic Benadryl (Diphenhydramine). The tablets are the size and work just like any of the other pink Diphenhydramine tablets, whether named brand or one of the other generic versions. It is a good deal as you get 400 tablets, which, even if you take Diphenhydramine daily, will last quite a while. And, you can set it up on subscribe and save to have it delivered at whatever frequency works for you.

Product Review: Hakko-CHP-170 Micro Cutter - Red

 

These are very good for smaller wires, like those that may be used in jewelry making or for wires that you would use on a circuit board (as well as clipping off the terminal ends of resistors, capacitors, inductors, or the like, after soldering them onto a circuit board). Because the clippers are small and very low-profile, it is good for making very clean cuts against edges so you do not have the ends of wires sticking out where you do not want them. They are, of course, a lot better than trying to use scissors and give you more control than the wire cutters that are included in the jaws of pliers, especially for fine jobs. Definitely a good pickup.

Product Review: Welding Soldering Iron with Thermostatic Digital-Controlled and LCD Screen Display, 60 W, Temperature Adjustable

 

This is a soldering iron that allows you to control the heat of the iron and see on an LCD screen, what the current temp is, and allow you to adjust it up or down. It is between the cheap irons and the expensive ones that plug into control units. It is definitely a good deal, especially if you have some experience soldering, but a lot of experience with it.

Workout Update: Insanity Max 30/Chalean Extreme/Body Beast/P90X Hybrid Day 1

Day one of the new workout is in the books. Today's workout was Cardio Challenge from Insanity Max 30 (which will be my base M-F workout). This workout is a pared-down version of Insanity, with all workouts lasting just a half hour, in which you "max out" at whatever time you take your first unscheduled break.  I am just following the modifier in this round (I plan to do two rounds back-to-back, one strictly following the modifier and one unmodified as much as I can), and maxed out at about 14 and a half minutes. For comparison, the first time I did the workout I think I maxed out around the five-minute mark (which is technically still in the warmup) or just after the warmup. There is a five-minute warmup in which you cycle through four exercises, then there are three blocks of five-minute rounds that cycle through three exercises. Between each round, you get a 30-second break. 

On the weekends, which are technically rest days from the Insanity portion, I am going to do one arm-focused workout from CE, Body Beast, and P90x (rotating every couple of weeks), and then will continue to do the Recharge workout from CE on Sunday. As I said, I plan to do two rounds, and then I will evaluate my fitness level. I will either do another round of the Max 30 hybrid, or I will go on to do P90X plus, after which I plan to go back to the OG Insanity (which has the 35-45 minute workouts). That plan may change as time goes by and depending on my fitness level. Ultimately, I want to get to the point where in Max 30 I can keep up with the people in the videos who max out at the lastest time, which in Cardio Challenge is around the 27-minute mark when Darren in the back row maxes out.

One observation from doing the workouts through the Beachbody app vs. the DVDs. On the DVDs, you have the option to watch the modifier track alone (so the modifier and Shaun T. are always shown). On the app, you can only watch the "regular" version, which basically follows Shaun T. around, so you do not always get a good view of the modified moves. Although at the start of every new exercise, they usually do a wide shot so you can see what the modifier is doing (unlike say T25 when there are times the modifier is never shown in full view). Still, it would be nice if they added the modifier track to the app. 

My workout plan for this workout is to get up early and take my pre-workout at about 6AM and then do the workout at about 7AM to get it done and over with, on an empty stomach in the morning. I partly want to do that as a part of transitioning to going back into the office on a part-time basis, so workout out before work. I am still hoping to lose fat during this round. As most know, I try not to be hyper-focused on scale weight, but I know I have enough stored fat on me that I can easily stand to lose another 25-30 lbs of scale weight. I hope to drop about 14-15 lbs of that by the time the two-rounds of this hybrid workout is over.

Supplement Review: NutraBio Micellar Casein - Protein Powder, 2 lbs Strawberry Ice Cream

 

This is a slow-digesting protein that is good to use between meals or before bed. It tastes very good (especially with milk) and blends well using a BlendJet or similar blender. I am not sure how well it mixes in a shaker cup, but I have not used a shaker cup to mix protein powder for a long time. The only drawback is that you do not get 30 servings per container (1 scoop = 1 serving). For some reason, this only has 27 servings per container. But, you get 25g of protein and just 2g of carbs per serving which can be adjusted depending on what you mix it with.

Product Review: Velleman Sa Electronic Decision Maker Kit

 

During my introduction to electrical engineering class, we had to do a couple of small soldering projects. This is a small kit that requires a push-button, some capacitors, resistors, etc to be mounted/soldered to a very small circuit board. The instructions are okay, but not the most well-written instructions. But, they are not impossible to figure out. Basically, you push the button, and either a green LED (representing "yes") or a red LED (representing "no") will light up, randomly. The board is so small that it can be difficult to work with to get the components mounted, and you will need to be careful to keep your fingers out of the way when you are soldering. It is a fun project that can be put together fairly quickly.

DVD/TV Series Review: American Dad: Volume 9

 

American Dad is, of course, the other long-running animated show created by Seth McFarlane. It tells the story of a CIA agent and his quirky family living in Langly Falls Virginia. Like with the Family Guy DVD releases, the American Dad DVD sets are released as "volumes" so it can be confusing which season of the show corresponds to which volume(s). In this case, Volume 9 contains all of the season 8 episodes of the show. The series continues to utilize a story (or stories) of the week format. Usually, the story involves some character or Roger (the alien living with the family) and one or two of the other family members. For example, in the season premiere, Roger hires Haley to sing in his bar after hearing her sing in the shower. Although sometimes, an episode will be more Stan-centric, either involving his CIA co-workers or meddling in the lives of one of the other members of the family (such as trying to break up Steve and Snot's friendship because Snot is not cool).

The DVD release is an Amazon-exclusive MOD release. So, it just has the episodes and no extras. However, the episodes are uncensored, so the jokes are sometimes dirtier, and swear words are not bleeped out as they are in the broadcast and streaming versions. But, if you only get DVD sets when there is a lot of bonus material, then you may just want to stick with streaming the show.

Overall, the series continues to be funny even though, like Family Guy, it is getting a bit long in the tooth. As the years have gone on, the series has changed the focus being Stan's job, which in some ways has been good and in other ways (e.g., with some of the crazy apocalyptic episodes) has not been so good. By this time into the show's run, however, you pretty much know what you are getting. If you like it, you will probably enjoy this season. If you don't then this season is probably not going to make you a fan.

DVD/TV Series Review: Family Guy: Season Twelve

 

This is the season in which the DVD sets finally stop being titled volumes and correspond to the actual season that corresponds to the set. It is still a bit confusing because there is also a Volume 12 that contained the season 11 episodes, but for this season and beyond (for the handful of additional seasons that got a physical DVD release), the DVD sets finally make sense.

By now, people who have watched Family Guy, especially after it was revived by Fox after having been canceled, know what the show is. It has followed the same formula for years and continues to do so in this season. The season has the typical story of the week shows, a couple of the larger adventure-type episodes, and "the" storyline that caused fans to lose their shit. It played out over multiple episodes and was definitely a topic of conversation. Chances are most people reading this know what it is, but for the few who may not, I will not spoil it. This season also sees the return of Cleveland after the cancellation of the spin-off show.

There are quite a bit of extras included on the DVD set. These include commentary tracks for select episodes, deleted scenes for every episode, animatics, and a couple of character-specific featurettes. So, if you like watching the bonus material there is a lot there. Plus, you do get some uncensored jokes that were not a part of the broadcast episodes.

Overall, the show continues to be good. An argument can certainly be made that it is getting long in the tooth, but at this point, it appears that the show will be on the air for as long as Seth McFarlane wants to keep doing it. I think the show does a good job coming up with new storylines, although the is not really any more character development going on. If you have been a fan of the show the season is still worth watching. If you have not been a fan of the prior seasons, this season is not likely to turn you into one.

Workout Update: Power-90/Chalean Extreme Hybrid: Day 94

Day 94 was the last day of the Hybrid workout. This was just the CE Recharge workout (which I still plan to do in the next workout, which will have Insanity Max 30 as the base workout and mix in others on Saturday and Sunday). Recharge was weird today. It almost felt like I had not done the workout at all for about two weeks, even though on some of the moves I was able to get deeper into the stretches than I have in a long time. But, I managed to get through it and got it done. Tomorrow morning will be the first workout of Max 30, Cardio Challenge.

Product Review: Cap Barbell 47-Inch Standard Threaded Solid Easy Curl Bar

 

This is a fairly standard E-Z Curl bar. It is not as bent or angled as some of them are, but it is not completely straight like a bar with which you would do barbell squats. The bar itself is about 11 pounds and you can use any barbell plates that have a 1" hole. The ends where the plates are loaded are threaded so you can either use a spring collar or a collar that can go on a threaded end. It is great for doing moves like skull crushers, upright rows, bent-over rows, and the like. It is definitely a good deal and perfect for a home gym setup.